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December 3, 2009

BENCH SITTIN' — Oklahoma children at risk by DHS cuts

By Randy Cowling, Managing Editor

December 3, 2009 — Are Oklahoma children less safe today than they were a year ago?

After at Department of Human Services announcement earlier this week, children who live in a volatile home environment may be at a greater risk.

DHS told the state’s Commission of Human Services would be decreasing the number of child welfare workers.

Under the cloud of state budget cuts, DHS is set to slash it personnel to 997. Since May the number of DHS child welfare workers has fallen from 1,095 to 1,056 and now will dip below 1,000.

DHS is looking to attrition, not filling vacant positions, to account for the cuts.

Can Oklahoma children really be protected with fewer caseworkers?

The state agency is supposedly working to keep possibly abused children with their families and providing more counseling.

In 1997 DHS had more than 12,000 children in its care. That number has dropped to below 10,000. DHS Director Howard Hendrick has said the number of calls to the state’s child-abuse hot line has decreased.

Under the cloud of five percent budget cuts, Hendrick is downsizing the agency. This is not the answer. More funding is not the answer either. Some state legislators believe Hendrick’s action is a ploy to force lawmakers to give DHS more money.

This action comes only after it was discovered many DHS managers are receiving bonuses and raises, some as high as $1,800 per month. This is outrageous. At a time when state agencies are eliminating jobs and services, DHS personnel should not be receiving salary increases or bonuses.

DHS needs to be overhauled. Currently, DHS is embroiled in a class action lawsuit filed last year by Children's Rights, a New York-based child advocacy group. The lawsuit asserts that DHS has mistreated children in its custody.

Children living in Oklahoma need the security of a healthy, stable home. When circumstances prevent that from happening, our children need advocates that will protect their interests.

At this time DHS is not exhibiting behavior that would suggest it has the best interests of the child in mind.

Hendrick only has his best interest in mind.

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